Dogs are always ready for dinner, so feel good about what you feed man’s best friend. Dinner for Dogs (The Experiment, 2012) allows you to do just that. Author and devoted dog lover Henrietta Morrison dishes out 50 tasty, nutritious and easy-to-make recipes to ensure our dogs eat the same quality of food as we do throughout their lives. The following excerpt from “Tasty Treats” explains why homemade dog treats trump ready-made treats available in stores, and offers some recipes for you to try.
Healthy Homemade Dog Treats
Giving dogs a treat is a lovely way of acknowledging them for something good they have done. These treats are all delicious, easy to make and as different from the store-bought ready-made “treats” as you can imagine. Unfortunately, most of the mass-produced treats–and this includes the so-called “natural” ones–are far from the description on the pack.
Dog Treat Recipes from Dinner for Dogs:
• Spelt and Sunflower Dog Treats Recipe
• Oatmeal Dog Cookies Recipe
• Dog Meal Replacement Bars Recipe
The worst culprits are those described as “semimoist.” These have very strong preservatives added to stop them from becoming moldy. To give you an idea, here are some of the ingredients that go into semimoist treats: phosphoric acid, artificial antioxidants such as propyl gallate (a carcinogenic in rat studies), citric acid and a mold inhibitor–potassium sorbate. Not natural at all! The other things to watch out for in store-bought treats are the levels of fat and sugar. Dogs adore both but will pile on the pounds if you are feeding them lots of high-fat treats, and sugary ones are obviously not great for their teeth, either.
The best treats or snacks you can give your dog are those made in your own kitchen–and that way you know exactly what’s gone into the recipe, too! These treats are suitable for puppies, for whom you’ll need treats at the ready for training, and for older dogs, who will appreciate a tasty tidbit of something delicious during the day.
Excerpt from Dinner For Dogs: 50 Home-Cooked Recipes for a Happy, Healthy Dog, copyright © Henrietta Morrison, 2012. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold.
